Atheist church, Is it a concern?

I feel there is a new cult religion on the rise, and it may be some sort of demented warped version of a disbelief made to fit an idea. I was reading this article, and many people had the same concerns as me

There is a concern among some non-believers that atheism is developing into a religion in its own right, with its own code of ethics and self-appointed high priest

"It will become an organised religion. It's inevitable. A belief system will set in. There will be a structure, an ethical outlook on life," says architect Robbie Harris.

I understand people like to come together in a common cause or value, but congregating and having sunday meetings is a completely different thing. Things like this really anger me, because this is exactly the opposite being a free rational thinker or skeptic. Other than being an Atheist, we are all independent of our actions and thoughts, we are all our own individual self. We are not connected in any eternal bondage or any of that other nonsensical ideologies.

This is exactly how cults and religion start. It may start out as a harmless thing, but eventually someone will come and try to brainwash and manipulate others to follow that individual as some sort of demi god leader. I just doon't understand why some Atheists or free thinkers or rational thinkers feel the need to give atheism religious characteristics

I think that the word church is a bad idea, although it does get the basic idea across quickly. But I don't think that the problem is congregating or curating idea and cultural artifacts I think you can have good organizations and bad organizations. And those groups can collect around good ideas or bad ideas, either way.

But the problem isn't going to a social club with a leadership and highlighted ideas and texts. The problem is that people can be manipulated by other people, and that is true inside of churches and outside of them.

I don't particularly like the word church being used. I definitely do not like some of the pictures I have seen of these "churches" that have a choir in uniform, a pulpit, and pews. It looks exactly like church on Sunday.

If atheism is going to do something like this then it should bring back the salons of the enlightenment. It would be the perfect way for atheists and secularists to meet, share camaraderie, and exchange ideas without institutionalizing non-belief.